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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27192454">Talk Marine Biology To Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour'>thebluesthour</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taegyu Oneshots for The Soul [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Aquariums, Awkward Flirting, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Miscommunication, Shy Kang Taehyun, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:21:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,630</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27192454</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taehyun and Beomgyu go to the aquarium for their first date, and Taehyun does his best not to fall in love too fast.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taegyu Oneshots for The Soul [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958551</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>185</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Talk Marine Biology To Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Being honest, it took me days to finish this and I am...not happy with it lol. I'm sorry to whoever sent the request, I did my best but I just could not connect for some reason. I didn't want to leave you guys without anything for any longer, though, so I'll post what I ended up with. </p><p>I'll do better in the future, life has just been very crazy and so I haven't had as much time or motivation to write! I hope you can understand. </p><p>VERY edited and still....anyway I will let you form your own opinion now lol. </p><p>Send requests   <a href="https://curiouscat.me/mapsoftheseouls"> here!</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taehyun clutched the pair of tickets nervously, chewing on his lip as he waited outside the entrance to the aquarium. He checked his phone for the time, before looking back out at the parking lot. He was early, but only because he was too restless sitting at home. He had been counting down the days and now that the day was finally here, his patience was very thin. He was just excited, okay?</p><p>            It had taken him several months, many pep talks, and one threat from Soobin for Taehyun to ask Beomgyu out. He had been a shaking, pathetic mess and it was a miracle Beomgyu was even able to understand him, but the relief that Taehyun felt when the boy accepted with an excited smile made it all worth it. They had been friends for almost a year, but Taehyun had been crushing for almost as long, so this day was important.</p><p>            He exhaled slowly, doing his best to calm his racing heart, because the last thing he wanted was to embarrass Beomgyu by being too awkward. He wasn’t a child, he was nineteen, and he could do this. Beomgyu wouldn’t have said yes if he didn’t at least find Taehyun somewhat charming, right? He just hoped the boy liked aquariums. Taehyun didn’t want to do a standard dinner-and-a-movie date, because those were overdone and he also wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive sitting that close to Beomgyu for two straight hours. He already malfunctioned when the boy so much as looked at him.</p><p>            He was totally fucked.</p><p>            Before he could have an existential crisis over how emotionally unprepared he was for the date, he saw Beomgyu running across the parking lot. He was dressed immaculately—always the more fashionable of the two—and his hair was swept around his face in a way that almost made him look like a prince. Taehyun blushed but couldn’t stop himself from smiling as Beomgyu came to a stop in front of him, a bit out of breath. “Hi!” he panted, shaking his hair out and smiling wider. “Sorry I’m late, there was traffic leaving campus.” Taehyun shook his head, looking up at the taller and praying that Beomgyu couldn't hear how loud his heart was beating. “That’s alright, I just got here,” he lied.</p><p>            Beomgyu nodded, before looking up at the big sign on the front of the aquarium. Taehyun did his best to not look at the exposed column of Beomgyu’s neck as he did. He shifted on his feet before speaking up. “Ready?” he asked gently. Beomgyu’s head snapped back down to meet Taehyun’s eyes, and he nodded, smiling again. Taehyun returned it, before glancing down at Beomgyu’s hand. He wanted to hold it, obviously, but he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate yet.</p><p>            He hadn’t really gone on a date before, so he didn’t know the standard protocol. Thankfully, however, Beomgyu saved the day and slung an arm around Taehyun’s shoulders, guiding him inside. “Don’t be shy with me, Taehyunnie, I’m not scary I promise,” he teased. Taehyun blushed furiously, but nodded, letting himself enjoy the contact. The couple walked up to the front desk and Taehyun slid the pair of tickets across the counter. After they were given wristbands and let past the entrances, Taehyun turned, clasping his hands together as he looked at Beomgyu.</p><p>            “Where do you want to go first?” he asked. Beomgyu hummed, looking around them, before settling his eyes back on Taehyun. “You choose,” he decided. Taehyun giggled, before nodding, turning and walking in the direction of the sting ray exhibit. “I used to come here as a kid, and the sting rays were always my favourite because I was short enough that I could see their mouths underneath,” he explained, before blushing again, clamping his mouth shut. He was so embarrassing.</p><p>            But Beomgyu only chuckled softly, following Taehyun closely and letting their shoulders brush. The aquarium wasn’t too busy, but it wasn’t completely empty either, and so they weaved their way through clusters of people until they arrived at the tanks. Taehyun felt himself smile at the feeling of nostalgia, and he went right up to the glass, trying to find a sting ray. He looked over his shoulder and saw Beomgyu looking too, but his face was more subdued, almost as if he was focusing on something else or just distracted.</p><p>            Taehyun furrowed his brows but quickly smoothed his features when Beomgyu caught him looking. The older offered a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Taehyun’s heart faltered a bit. Was something wrong? Did Beomgyu find sting rays incredibly boring? Taehyun floundered—no pun intended—over what to do to make Beomgyu feel better. He stepped away from the glass, sighing and facing Beomgyu, smiling as brightly as he could. “Guess I’m too tall now,” he said with a giggle. Beomgyu hummed, not saying much, just standing there and looking over Taehyun’s head.</p><p>            Taehyun deflated a little, starting to get anxious that Beomgyu wasn’t going to have a good time, and he didn’t know why. The elder had seemed so excited literal minutes ago, but now that they were inside was he realising that it wasn’t as exciting as he thought it would be? Was he regretting agreeing to the date?</p><p>            Before those thoughts could become too overwhelming, Taehyun asked if Beomgyu wanted to go look at the schools of fish across the room. Beomgyu only nodded, giving Taehyun a close-lipped smile. Taehyun did his best to keep his face clear of any negative expressions and the two walked over to the giant wall of glass where they could see hundreds of multi-coloured fish swimming around happily.</p><p>            Taehyun paid attention more this time, sneaking glances at Beomgyu as they both observed quietly, and he was saddened to see that the taller still didn’t appear to be that impressed. In fact, he looked like he was in pain. It made Taehyun’s blood run a bit colder, and he bit his lip. Should he ask if Beomgyu wanted to do something else? He didn’t want to subject the boy to a miserable afternoon, and he would be completely fine finding a different activity.</p><p>            And so he steeled himself before patting Beomgyu on the shoulder, lowering his voice so nobody could eavesdrop. “Hyung?” he asked. Beomgyu spun, looking at Taehyun with wide eyes, no doubt picking up on his solemn tone. Taehyun took a deep breath, before wringing his fingers together and doing his best not to break eye contact. “If you want to do something else, we can,” he began. “I know that not everybody likes the aquarium as much as I do, so I won’t be offended if it’s not that fun for you.”</p><p>            He waited then, staring at Beomgyu and wondering what he was going to say. But the elder surprised Taehyun by gasping, eyes widening and head shaking back and forth immediately. He stepped closer, resting a hand on Taehyun’s shoulder. “Oh my God, no, I’m so sorry,” he apologised in a rush. “I actually love the aquarium, I just didn’t want to embarrass you by how excited I am to be here.” He leaned in a bit closer, a soft smile on his face as he squeezed Taehyun’s shoulder. “Especially how excited I am to be here with <em>you</em>,” he added.</p><p>            Taehyun’s jaw dropped a bit and he blushed, completely caught off-guard. That was definitely not what he was expecting to hear. “Really?” he asked, in disbelief. Beomgyu laughed, dropping his hand from Taehyun’s shoulder and nodding, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “I wanted to be a merman growing up, what can I say?” he admitted. That made Taehyun giggle, and he nodded, moving a bit closer. Beomgyu smiled gently then, face growing a bit more serious. He reached out a hand and brushed back Taehyun’s bangs, giving the younger a minor heart attack, and when he spoke, his voice was soft. “I’m sorry if I made you think I wasn’t enjoying myself,” he whispered.</p><p>            Taehyun’s ears burned but he shook his head, offering Beomgyu a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, I’m just glad you aren’t miserable,” he replied. Beomgyu chuckled, before shaking his head. “I could never be miserable spending time with you.”</p><p>            Taehyun turned bright red and quickly turned around, mentioning something about turtles. He heard Beomgyu laugh behind him, before the two followed the signs to the turtle exhibit.</p><p>            When they got there, Taehyun got to see Beomgyu’s true reactions, and they were so adorable he about melted into a puddle right then and there. The older bounded up, a wide grin on his face, and gripped the railing tightly as he bent over to look at the little baby sea turtles. “They’re so cute! I want to take one home!” he cried, giggling and pointing at one that was climbing over a rock structure. Taehyun smiled, glancing at the turtle but preferring to watch Beomgyu. He was beautiful like this, face lit up with joy.</p><p>            His entire body leaned forward in excitement, his eyes wide and mouth parted in awe, as if he was looking at sea dragons instead of sea turtles. It was so endearing it made Taehyun feel something warm and fuzzy settle in his stomach, and he felt a sudden urge to grab Beomgyu and kiss him.</p><p>            But he didn’t, and instead let the taller choose where to go next, smiling happily as he suggested seeing the sharks. Taehyun agreed quickly, before Beomgyu held out his hand. Taehyun blushed, before linking his fingers between Beomgyu’s and holding tight. His heart fluttered at the feeling of their palms brushing together and when Beomgyu smiled at him, Taehyun melted.</p><p>            They walked together, stopping a few times as they passed various other exhibits that caught Beomgyu’s attention, and Taehyun indulged him, wildly entertained just by watching him freak out. And never once did their hands separate, which made Taehyun ridiculously happy.</p><p>            Beomgyu was actually full of interesting facts about each sea creature, which gave Taehyun a peek into how his mind worked, and that was fascinating to him. He always liked to hear people talk about the things they loved, and the way Beomgyu spoke about fish of all things made Taehyun want to drop to his knees right then and there. Who knew marine biology was what did it for him?</p><p>            When they got to the sharks, Beomgyu spun to face Taehyun fully, and he chuckled. “You know, your teeth remind me of sharks’ teeth,” he remarked, poking Taehyun’s cheek with his free hand. Taehyun’s eyes widened as he blushed, automatically covering his mouth and looking down. Beomgyu’s eyes widened too, and he rushed to reassure the younger, waving his hand around and moving closer. “No, I like it! I think it’s super cute,” he said hurriedly. Taehyun glanced up at him over his hand, and Beomgyu looked a bit fearful, as if he had hurt Taehyun’s feelings.</p><p>            He hadn’t, and so Taehyun shook his head and lowered his hand, smiling a bit. “It’s okay, hyung,” he promised. “I’ve just never heard that comparison before.” Beomgyu stared at him, almost as if deep in thought, before lifting his free hand again and brushing Taehyun’s bangs out of his eyes again. “You’re really beautiful, you know that, right?” he whispered.</p><p>            And Taehyun blushed as bright as a tomato and let out a little huff of disbelief as he looked down. “Stop,” he replied, barely above a whisper himself. Beomgyu chuckled, pulling Taehyun against his side and nuzzling his cheek into the top of his head. “Should probably get used to it, Taehyunnie,” he said simply. Taehyun swallowed and lifted his head, catching Beomgyu as he looked away from him and at the sharks. “I should?” he asked.</p><p>            Beomgyu smiled at the glass, before looking at Taehyun and nodding. Taehyun almost preened but stopped himself in time and just grinned shyly instead. Beomgyu squeezed his hand, and the two spent the rest of the afternoon visiting every exhibit in aquarium. When they had done a complete walk-through, Taehyun found that he didn’t want to leave Beomgyu. Despite the minor miscommunication at the beginning of their date, he had had an amazing time. He enjoyed Beomgyu’s presence so much and he wasn’t ready for them to part.</p><p>            Thankfully, it appeared Beomgyu shared the sentiment, because when Taehyun quietly asked if he would like to come over to his place and watch a movie and order some takeout, Beomgyu was nodding before Taehyun had even finished asking the question. The two beamed at each other like lovesick idiots, before Beomgyu led the two to his car (Taehyun had taken the bus, so it worked out perfectly).</p><p>            “Thank you for bringing me here,” Beomgyu said as they were driving. Taehyun smiled, resting his hands in his lap. “Thank you for coming with me,” he replied. Beomgyu chuckled, removing one hand from the wheel to turn it palm up on Taehyun’s thigh, wiggling his fingers. Taehyun laughed, his heart warming in his chest as he took a hold of Beomgyu’s hand yet again. If handholding was going to be their thing, he would never complain about anything ever again.</p><p>            Beomgyu must have remembered the way to Taehyun’s apartment from the few times he visited with his best friend Yeonjun (who was Taehyun’s roommate’s boyfriend, which was all very confusing now) and so the two talked lightly about what movie they should watch and what takeout they were going to order. Taehyun knew they already had similar tastes—Beomgyu’s shared love for tteokbokki was one of the first things that attracted him to Taehyun—and he grew both excited and nervous at the prospect of doing exactly what he had said he wouldn’t ever do on a first date.</p><p>            But this would be different, they’d be in the privacy of his home, and that made butterflies erupt in Taehyun’s stomach. He was a cuddler by nature, and so was Beomgyu, and he couldn’t help but hope. He texted Soobin as they got closer, telling him to get lost if he was home. It’s not that Soobin would be annoying or nosy, but Taehyun preferred to not have to worry about being flustered in front of <em>two </em>people instead of just one. Soobin texted back a series of suggestive emojis which made Taehyun roll his eyes, but thankfully his roommate was out with his boyfriend and wouldn’t be home until the next morning.</p><p>            When Beomgyu parked in front of Taehyun’s apartment building, the two shared a shy glance, before getting out of the car. It had gotten colder outside during the short drive and so the two rushed inside, shivering a bit and giggling as they stood in the elevator shaking their hands out. Taehyun couldn’t think of something to say on the ride up, but Beomgyu seemed content to just smile serenely at him, which made Taehyun’s cheeks burn.</p><p>            The elevator doors slid open and the two walked out together, shoulders brushing. Taehyun reached into his coat pocket to pull out his key and unlock his front door. He hoped the apartment wasn’t too messy as he pushed open the door, but thankfully he and Soobin were kind of neat freaks and so the space was nice and tidy as Taehyun led Beomgyu in.</p><p>            He turned, smiling a bit and starting to shrug off his coat. “You can hang your coat on here, and I’ll go grab my laptop to order dinner?” he suggested, doing his best to ignore his racing heart and the fact that he was alone in his apartment with his crush. Beomgyu smiled warmly, before nodding and starting to unbutton his coat. Taehyun hung his own up and then padded down to his room. His bed was made—a habit developed during middle school—and he had a few books scattered over his desk but other than that the room was nice and clean. Not that that mattered, of course.</p><p>            He unplugged his computer and carried it out to the living room. Beomgyu had taken his shoes off and was sitting on the couch criss-crossed, smiling when Taehyun entered. Taehyun returned it, sitting down next to the older and pulling up his favourite takeout menu. “What should we get?” he asked. Beomgyu hummed, leaning forward to look over Taehyun’s shoulder. His lips were right at Taehyun’s ear and it made the hair on the back of Taehyun’s neck stand up. His breath hitched, but he did his best to at least appear unaffected. He did have a suspicion that Beomgyu was purposefully sitting so close though.</p><p>            “What about some tteokbokki, japchae, and galbi?” he suggested. Taehyun smiled, selecting each option as well as some rice and kimchi, before going to pay. “Oh, hold on,” he said, setting the laptop aside and rising to go grab his credit card. Before he could move around Beomgyu’s legs, however, the elder grabbed his hand, pulling him back down and grabbing the computer. “I got it,” he said, flashing a toothy smile. Taehyun blushed, eyes rounding as he shook his head. “I invited you over, I should pay,” he insisted.</p><p>            Beomgyu promptly ignored him, pulling out his own card and punching in his information before Taehyun could stop him. After the order was placed, Beomgyu moved the laptop to the coffee table and twisted to look at Taehyun. He grinned adorably, playfully nudging Taehyun’s knee with his knee. “You’re so cute when you’re irritated,” he said, surprising Taehyun. The younger blushed furiously, looking away and trying not to preen too much. He couldn’t look away for long though, and when he looked back, Beomgyu was still smiling softly at him, as if in admiration.</p><p>            Taehyun stared at him, lips parted just slightly, mind screaming at him. He looked so fucking beautiful Taehyun felt close to passing out, and he was so close, and there was no way that that look was meant for <em>him</em>.</p><p>            He didn’t think as he suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips to Beomgyu’s. It was as if his body had acted of its own accord, as if it knew Taehyun needed the push his mind wouldn't give him, and when their lips connected, it was like he had found nirvana. Beomgyu’s lips were so soft and smooth, and the surprised squeak that came out of him was ridiculously satisfying. But Taehyun’s brain caught up with his body in a matter of seconds and right as Beomgyu started to kiss him back, the younger jerked away. His eyes were wide, face red, and he physically moved away, scared he had crossed a line. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I just…you were right there and I—I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” he babbled, mortified.</p><p>            The feeling of embarrassment settled heavy on his shoulders, his stomach churned uncomfortably, and he looked down. He had never been so impulsive before, and now he was afraid that he had moved too fast. It didn’t matter that the two had been flirting all day, Taehyun should have asked first.</p><p>            A gentle hand settled on his shoulder, and Taehyun heard Beomgyu shuffle to be close to him again. “Taehyun,” he said tenderly. Taehyun sighed, lifting his head just a bit to peek at Beomgyu through his bangs. The older was smiling, and his cheeks had a pretty dusting of pink across them. “What did I say about being nervous around me?” Taehyun blinked a few times, feeling a bit like a child about to be scolded. “To not be,” he muttered. Beomgyu chuckled as he nodded, sliding his hand to Taehyun’s jaw and slowly tilting his head up a bit more. “Exactly,” he replied.</p><p>            Taehyun bit his lip, still feeling a bit guilty. Beomgyu seemed to notice, though, because he laughed, caressing Taehyun’s cheek with his thumb. “Do you know how crazy you make me?” he whispered. Taehyun’s heart dropped at that, and before he could think of anything to say in return, Beomgyu angled his head just a little to the left and then they were kissing again.</p><p>            And this time, Beomgyu led it, and Taehyun fell into it. Beomgyu kissed the way he lived, with purpose and power, and Taehyun could find himself quickly losing himself to the feeling. It was heaven, the way their mouths fit together like puzzle pieces and moved together seamlessly. Taehyun kissed back, hands reaching up to rest on Beomgyu’s chest because he didn’t know where to else to put them.</p><p>            Beomgyu tilted his head a bit so the slide of their lips was easier, and Taehyun’s fingers fisted his shirt as he felt the tease of tongue. He had never been kissed like this before and it was making his mind go a bit hazy. Beomgyu’s hands slid from Taehyun’s face to his waist, and Taehyun was embarrassingly pliant as Beomgyu carefully pulled him onto his lap. Taehyun’s legs bracketed the elder’s thighs, and the new position was both terrifying and exhilarating.</p><p>            When the need for oxygen grew too strong to ignore, Taehyun pulled away, chest heaving. His cheeks were flushed, hair a bit messy, and lips burning with the phantom pressure remaining from the kiss. Beomgyu looked about the same, pupils blown and Adam’s apple bobbing as he caught his breath. His hands were still on Taehyun’s waist and he kind of hoped they stayed there forever.</p><p>            They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, and Taehyun’s mind was so frazzled he didn’t know what to say. If this was how it was going to be every time, he needed to figure out some sort of coping mechanism because fuck. “Choi Beomgyu you are going to be the death of me,” he said, breathless.</p>
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